I downloaded the Eval iso and setup a VM. Since I wanted to isolate it, I used an internal network. After 10 days, the VM is expired and I am unable to activate it.

What are my options now?

Why don't they let us know about this critical need for activation when we download the iso?

When I have had that happen, I created an external virtual switch on a network that had access to the internet. Gave the VM access to the internet until it activated, then removed the network.

Another option is to use slmgr.vbs to rearm the evaluation copy. It will rearm for 10 days, and the same thing will then happen. You can rearm three times, so you could get a total of 40 days. But if you follow the first steps I gave, you
get 180 days and then you can rearm for another 30 days - if you connect it back to the internet. Again, 3 rearms.

According to your description, we did a test for that. We installed the Windows server 2012 r2 from the link you provided in a Hyper-V computer. During
the installation, no process asked us to enter the product key and we installed it successfully.

Just as cguan said, it is free for us to download and install it and it don’t need any product key to make it functional.

You don't exactly state what your problem is, so I'll offer a potential solution that might not fit your problem.

Are you trying to activate the installation after it expired on you? If so, the evaluation copy automatically reaches out to Microsoft and activates. That means it needs access to the internet. If it does not have access to the internet,
it will expire in 10 days.

If that's not the issue, could you provide the steps you took to try to change the key? I've upgraded a number of evaluation installations without any problems.

I agree with cguan - try downloading a different copy. The evaluation copy should not be asking for a key. If it is asking for a key, either you do not have an evaluation copy, or the copy you have has something wrong with it.

I downloaded the Eval iso and setup a VM. Since I wanted to isolate it, I used an internal network. After 10 days, the VM is expired and I am unable to activate it.

What are my options now?

Why don't they let us know about this critical need for activation when we download the iso?

When I have had that happen, I created an external virtual switch on a network that had access to the internet. Gave the VM access to the internet until it activated, then removed the network.

Another option is to use slmgr.vbs to rearm the evaluation copy. It will rearm for 10 days, and the same thing will then happen. You can rearm three times, so you could get a total of 40 days. But if you follow the first steps I gave, you
get 180 days and then you can rearm for another 30 days - if you connect it back to the internet. Again, 3 rearms.

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